Payton had an appeal hearing scheduled with CIF on Sept. 5 in hopes of gaining his eligibility at Upland, but he apparently nixed those plans.

With the Valley’s biggest rivalry, the Smudge Pot set to kick off the high school football season Thursday between Bonita and San Dimas at Citrus College, Payton’s latest change of address should create quite a stir.

“My understanding is that he (Payton) applied for a permit at Bonita under the Allen Bill,” Bonita Unified assistant superintendent Curtis Frick said. “That is (Allen Bill) when an employee works in the district, children can attend their schools.”
Payton, who is under the foster care of Peter and Shara Lyons, enrolled at Upland because according to the Lyons family, they moved to the Upland school district from Claremont.

However, because Shara Lyons is a counselor at Lone Hill Middle School in San Dimas, which is in the Bonita Unified School District, Payton was admitted to Bonita, though his athletic eligibility is still up in the air.

Payton, a Tribune All-Area choice at running back for the Saints and the reigning Valle Vista League MVP, rushed for 1,628 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2012.

San Dimas originally said it would not challenge Payton’s decision to leave for Upland, but Saints coach Bill Zernickow confirmed the school had a change of heart in July when it challenged Payton’s transfer to Upland for athletically motivated reasons, which CIF upheld.

“We had a change of heart, it’s a group decision,” Zernickow said at the time. “My opinion is that you can’t say nothing if something happened.”

Meanwhile, just last week, the Bonita Unified School District launched an investigation after Peter Lyons alleged that the San Dimas High school football coaching staff put players on a weight-gain plan and provided them with nutritional supplements in the form of shakes to help them reach weight goals.

Lyons provided the District with a list of 23 current and former players who he said acknowledged receiving or seeing others receive shakes by Zernickow or his assistants. The content of the shakes could not be verified, nor could other allegations alleged by Lyons.

It is a violation of the coaches code of ethics under CIF State rule 22B12 to give athletes anything other than non-muscle building nutritional supplements.

“We’re looking into what the complaint is,” Frick said last week. ““We’re conducting an investigation. At the district level, there’s one complaint that has come forth. As part of the complaint, there were names named within all of that and as we do the investigation we’re following up with folks as they come up.

“We’re making sure that we’re following all the leads on it. We’re trying to be as swift as we can in this investigation.”

Frick said the District is wrapping up their investigation and hopes to make a statement on Monday.

Zernickow and his staff have remained on the job while the investigation is taking place. Zernickow also said he wouldn’t comment on the “shakes” allegations, nor did he want to comment about Payton’s transfer to rival Bonita.

On the CIF transfer website, Bonita athletic director Eric Podley already has submitted a transfer request in hopes of Payton gaining his eligibility.

“He (Podley) submitted paperwork through our system (to gain elibility at Bonita) but before it is officially accepted the previous school (San Dimas) has to sign off or take issue before we begin our process,” explained CIF-SS spokesperson Thom Simmons.

Does that mean San Dimas could contest Payton’s transfer all over again?

About Fred Robledo

Upland be in big trouble and it be funny watching them try to cover dare tracks. Day think if they be deleting stuff from facebook and suspending a nobody coach it be going away..Nahhhh No so luck.

mike ford

his parents house went into foreclosure so they moved how is that about football

in the stands

He didn’t live in San Dimas to begin with – how is that about moving.

reality

This has been in the works for awhile. Kudos to both camps for keeping it quiet this long. I don’t know his address but Jake needs to be in school first and formost and I understand Bonita is the most convenient. Principal Ketterling is all about the student first and would never have his coaches seek anyody no matter how good. Bonita does not need drama but a runner would be nice. Still some I’s to dot and T’s to cross for football but I understand he is in class today at Bohi.

in the stands

How can Bonita be more convenient than San Dimas was when his guardian works at Lone Hill? I think it is sad that his guardians are making drama in his senior year. Are these ‘parents’ trying to get him press to get him looked at by D1 schools?

reality

Stands: IMO the best thing he could have done was speak to his coach and team mates and apologize, explain,.then try to go back. Barring that I meant that Bohi seemed the most reasonable place to go. He still may not be eligible. We will have to wait and see.

SaintsR4real

The Kid apologize for what? In short, his relationship with his ex coach was a bad one, he took advice from his peers that love him to transfer. He was refused. He then went elsewhere to play. Everything else was generated by the adults around him and at the school level. Please, your thoughts…..

Saints Fan

I am laughing at your first 2 sentences. You should change your name to “Reality TV Show”, cuz you, me and many others know those first two lines just aint true… huh?

what?

Clearly “athletically motivated” otherwise he would be attending Upland weather he played football or not. Sounds to me like Hull got royally fu**ked by CIF and Maggiore with Scoby getting cleared after 6 transfers, god knows how much undue influence over the past 3 or 4 years, all sorts of missed class time, and a white elephant in the room that very few are willing to discuss, and now Payton probably cleared to play at Bonita. Something is definitely rotten in Denmark errr. CIF.

GP AKA Green Machine

Scoby was cleared because a Valid Change of address. News Flash, Cif does not enjoy sitting young men out for any reason. If Scoby would have transferred anywhere but Monrovia, he would have been denied. It was the only believable scenario, CIF would imagine. Hull could have transferred to Any of the Pomona Schools, and he would be playing now…Payton should have just stayed put….Upland look bad, Bonita Looks even worse, and San Dimas will not take him back.

SGV FB Dad

C’mon, the whole Scoby B.S. is a joke. You keep trying to make it right. No “student” should be allowed to blatantly play this transfer game that Scoby has played over the last three years. You really want us to believe that none of Scoby’s moves were not athletically motivated? And as for your Monrovia team, until you play in a real division, you guys are a joke too.

GP AKA Green Machine

Yeah but we were on Fox Prep zone after the dodger game and it was one of the long segments…. It will be running again very soon. Jokes on you buddy.

Prep Fan

No the Joke is on you GP!…CHEATERS NEVER WIN!

GP AKA Green Machine

who cheated?

Brahma fan

Don’t bet on that. The e-mail that Hulls’ father sent to his Coach is the reason that West Covina challenged the transfer. And according to what I’ve read on the blogs, West Covina wouldn’t want to break any rules. They would HAVE to challenge ANY transfer, even to any of the Pomona schools.

Bulldogs have bite

My guess is nobody in the Scoby camp decided to leave a “goodbye” email in any of the handful of schools he transferred out of. Without any hard evidence of “athletic motivation”, it would be hard to prove and the transfer goes through. Interesting thing I learned when looking up the CIF transfer rules is that any school that “lies” or knowingly signs off on a transfer that is athletically motivated can be subject to having their “SCHOOL” lose standing with CIF. That means ALL SPORTS PROGRAMS in the school can be banned/suspended/reprimanded by CIF. And some dolts think coaches with knowledge of these things should just look the other way, lol!

GP AKA Green Machine

After looking all the rulings one can say, as long as you have a valid change of address, no documented proof of undue influence, and your previous school/ coach does not contest, you will be cleared. End of story. With the Scoby ruling they are being clear, that they are not out to ruin kids for transferring. You just have to keep it clean. The San Dimas situation is what CIF is trying to avoid, because they know all the coaches bend the rules here and there. It’s impossible to go 100% by the book. Things can get messy, and clearing transfers is much easier, than making people angry, and having to waste time investigating pI$$ing matches between parents and coaches. The kid gets hurt in the end and it could be a life changing event for a young man’s future.

what?

Everyone knows that WestCo has a number of athletically motivated transfers into your program right now and over the past few years, including that the thug that was arrested for the Huntington Beach incident from last years team. Why did your “glass house” coach sign off on those transfers? Wasn’t he afraid of the what CIF might do? Stop trying to sell ice to eskimos, everyone knows that your coach was butt hurt and wanted to make sure Hull paid the price. You look so foolish trying to sell the “the coach was just trying to protect the program” crap. When he dam well knows that CIF doesn’t go after coaches for letting kids walk from the program. Welch at SM let a number of kids go to MV this year and last year when there was written evidence of athletically motivated transfer posted all over the internet for everyone to see and CIF did nothing because SM didn’t challenge.

Bulldogs have bite

I wouldn’t doubt all the transfers West Covina gets are athletically motivated. And we do in fact let kids transfer out. The only difference is they do not leave evidence of wrong doing behind and causing anyone to be legally liable. The “hey everyone else is doing it” excuse is the defense for morons. Try telling that to the judge when you’re fighting a ticket. I’m sure he will just bang his gavel and say case dismissed! You’re the kind of eskimo that probably would buy ice. If the coach was butt hurt or not, it was the fault of the butt hurt parent who gave the coach the rope. As for the kid who got arrested for the HB riots, yeah he did something stupid. But he is no thug, he just got caught breaking the rules. Just like the Hull camp.

WCDan

The only butthurt person I see here is you Sir “What”, try getting on with your life already, by the way West Co looked pretty good tonight.

Bulldogs have bite

Pro-style offense? Three TD passes? Who are these guys?

WCDan

LOL,
I don’t know but they had maroon and gold uniforms on.

Lupe

Holy crap, this is getting worse than any soap opera ever.
To G.P. Bohi has no say in if the kid can enroll or not. His guardian works in the district.

I hope Bohi does the ‘right’ thing and waits until week 2 to play the kid. ( if he’s cleared to play). I’m a Bohi honk b-4 you start bashing me.

Brahma fan

Just let the kid play. Hes a senior, let him get his last year.

Mac4

Better yet since Noodles lives in Pomona there 4 high school football programs in that city

Brahma fan

I don’t think West Covina would sign off on him going to another league opponent (Diamond Ranch). As for Pomona, Garey and Ganesha, if it was your kid would you send him there? I’m not putting those schools down. I graduated from Ganesha. I just want you to answer the question.

OuttaYourMindTrib

He wants to play Varsity QB though. Ayala is out. He’s not beating out the Senior QB with 3 years Varsity experience and two 2nd Team All League awards.

Brahma fan

When I talked to him, he said he wanted to play Slot Receiver and Safety. When we played passing league that’s where he played. He was only playing back up QB because Petersons twin brother didn’t want to. Whatever people are saying about the kid is wrong. You should just ask him.

reality

Lupe, why is it the right thing not to play him if he is eligible?? Why waste 10% of his season?

Lupe

Not fair to the Bohi kids that someone shows up w/ 1 week to go and plays while they’ve been busting their butts since spring. Not fair to the kids he left at SD to play him in league ( if that would have happened ) or as their cross town rival.The kid went to losing 100% of his season. 10% should be liveable…hopefully BHS goes to the playoffs and wins a game…and maybe just maybe if the kid loses 1 game ( just 1 game ) the LYONS will take a step back and consider how they’ve handled this WHOLE situation.

Saints Fan

Anything sooner than Oct 1st eligibility just doesn’ t make any sense under current CIF rules in place. But what do any of us know what happens behind that magical curtain

FatLadyHasSung

Wow the Lyons are turning out to be a piece of work. Not only did Mr. Lyons make some pretty huge FALSE ALLEGATIONS, but now they file the Bonita transfer under the Allen Bill!!! How stupid can you people be??? Wasn’t Jake was already in the Bonita District AT SAN DIMAS? Now in a pathetic attempt to CIRCUMVENT the rules once again, they pull this crap. Now I ask, who is looking like the guilty party?

Admit it Mr. Lyons, you drank the kool aid and basically f-ed up Jake’s life. Way to “be” there for the kid. You and your wife have made his life a complete MESS.

SaintsR4real

How awesome would it be if Jake got the green light to play in the Smudgepot game? I would anticipate some great football and the best Smudgepot game ever!

Prep Fan 29

Good for him! The way Scoby was cleared to play! All the others should be cleared to play! CIF IS A JOKE!

GP AKA Green Machine

bonita just got a lot better over night. With Payton, they are going to make the playoffs…DBar look out.

Aaron

Do any of you think he could go back to SD and play…especially after the accusation made by the Lyons Family? He can certainly go back to the district though. And if they give him eligibility, we’ll see where he fits, and contributes.

reality

Lupe: That scenario is like the old Andy Griffith show. In it the town sheriff gave the deputy Barney Fife a pistol but no bullets. So the kid is eligible but to not hurt feelings lets not use our bullets on this team. I’m very sure this kid practiced hard all summer to. Either he is good to play or or if he is not let the powers that be make that decision. As for the Bohi coaches and players it will be up to them as to how they accept and play with this situation. The team looks pretty solid as it is. If some unexpected money comes your way by accident do you not spend it because it might hurt a friends feelings? Bonita folks probably wish this situation would never have happened but then sometimes a baby gets abandoned on your doorstep and you are asked to care for it for awhile.

Chad Risco

Regardless of a possible challenge from San Dimas, still athletically motivated just no undue influence, since he his not playing in his district of residence regardless of the Allen bill he should still face the 30 day sit out period

Saints Fan

Wow, incredible twist of fate. So the boy doesn’t get playing time in Upland vs Amat scrimmage Thurs eve, tempers fly, had been in classes all week at Upland, get’s walked in to Bonita office Fri morning, Podley has paperwork filed with CIF by Fri afternoon, and now possibly eligible for Smudgepot game 6 days after he walks out of Upland and onto Bonita campus. Oh yah, after being declared ineligible by CIF because of “how” they moved to Upland. How anyone can say this is NOT a mockery of “existing” CIF rules is fooling themselves. But ya, these rules are stupid, so who cares, we should change them anyway. Boy, a great story line on a silver platter. Now first and foremost, heck ya, put him in Smudgepot game. I am sure there are 40 San Dimas kids that would love a shot ! Sure, Jake wants to snub his nose at the SD Coaches who apparently didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear and he wants to shove it down their throats. Along with all the BS about those magical mystery shakes (that he drank right along with everyone else — how did that ice cream taste by the way??). Let him play. Now it brings a 3rd school into the debacle as Bonita wants to win sooooo bad after they “eradicate” their returning RB from team earlier in summer, are sitting there with a downgraded offense from last season, but ‘ol St Nick drops a gift right into their lap. I’m wondering how those kids on that team, including that RB who had “earned” RB#1 status ALL SUMMER long working his rear off to help his TEAM go into battle, but oh, sorry, your AD and Coach ran around with lightning pace to get CIF paperwork into the office before classes were done that day to get the “gift” tied up in a bow and ready for Game #1. Nice. Well San Dimas wants him to play, cuz if he doesn’t, then Bonita honks will say when SD wins, oooh but that’s just because Jake didn’t play. True colors all the way around have just been shown, by multiple parties involved. Let the games begin !

True Identity

Monte, I mean SaintsFan where do you come up with some of this stuff? If you knew anything, you would know Upland didn’t start classes until today. Second, Payton wasn’t even at the scrimmage on Thursday at Amat so there would be no tempers flying. Also, if you knew anything none of the transfers at Upland played at all on Thursday, even the ones that have been cleared to play.

Aaron

From what I’ve been told was that Jake has been in class since last Monday.

True Identity

In class where since Monday?

Aaron

Bonita, since Upland started today, how do I know when Upland Started compared to Baghdad Bob is because it’s on Upland’s website when the first day of school is.

Food 4 Thought

Let’s all remember Jake Payton is a foster youth. Straight from the education code that schools and CIF have to abide by. If Jake is not cleared to play by CIF and Bonita doesn’t play him, they will be in violation of the education code.

48853. If the educational liaison, in consultation with the foster child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the foster child, agrees that the best interests of the foster child would best be served by his or her transfer to a school other than the school of origin, the foster child shall immediately be enrolled in the new school.

48850. In fulfilling their responsibilities to these pupils (foster youth), educators, county placing agencies, care providers, advocates, and the juvenile courts shall work together to maintain stable school placements and to ensure that each pupil is placed in the least restrictive educational programs, and has access to the academic resources, services, extracurricular and enrichment activities that are available to all pupils, including, but not necessarily limited to, interscholastic sports administered by the California Interscholastic Federation.

What?

The Foster Kid still has to abide by CIF rules which are separate from the education code. And NO COACH, I repeat NO COACH is required to play any kid that he chooses not to play. The education code has no say in who the coaches decide to play.

Food 4 Thought

You must not work in the education field. The Education Code is what schools live by and is law. Foster youth and special ed students have their own set of rules. CIF is not law and just an extension of the schools. Their rules would not stand the test of the courtroom.

Aaron

So you want a Coach to have his entire season forfeited…oh, Football is an extra-curricalur activity.

What?

So what we’re to take away from your keen legal mind is that Foster Kids have carte blanche to trample on any and all CIF rules and the coach is required to play him no matter how bad of a player he is? If the kid want’s to pump gallons of steroids into his body right in front of the coach, the coach still has to play him? If the kid smokes a bowl of weed in the locker room just before the game, the coach still has to pay him? If the kid and his guardians openly violate the transfer rules and lie on the CIF forms when doing so, then there’s nothing CIF can do about it?
I’m thinking you have difficulty with reading comprehension. Those rules are in place to ensure Foster Kids are provided with the same opportunities that other kids are provided. The rules and laws are written to be used as a “Shield” not as a “Sword”. Like it or not, Jake is subject to the same CIF rules as all the other kids.

MonkeyWrench

Fool nobody be deny the kid an opportunity to get an education. He can go to any school he likes or his fool guardians like. But he be wanting to play ball he need to be playing by the rules of da group dat governs ball. CIF. You grasping now because it becoming to real dat you jacked up. Dam shame didnt have to be like dis.

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